Building the Modern World: Albert Kahn in Detroit

by Michael H. Hodges

Building the Modern World: Albert Kahn in Detroit by Michael H. Hodges tells the story of the German-Jewish immigrant who rose from poverty to become one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. Kahn's buildings not only define downtown Detroit, but his early car factories for Packard Motor and Ford revolutionized the course of industry and architecture alike.

Employing archival sources unavailable to previous biographers, Building the Modern World follows Kahn from his apprenticeship at age thirteen with a prominent Detroit architecture firm to his death. With material gleaned from two significant Kahn archives—the University of Michigan's Bentley Historical Library and the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution—Hodges paints the most complete picture yet of Kahn's remarkable rise. Special emphasis is devoted to his influence on architectural modernists, his relationship with Henry Ford, his intervention to save the Diego Rivera murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts (unreported until now), and his work laying down the industrial backbone for the Soviet Union in 1929–31 as consulting architect for the first Five Year Plan.

Kahn's ascent from poverty, his outsized influence on both industry and architecture, and his proximity to epochal world events make his life story a tableau of America's rise to power. Historic photographs as well as striking contemporary shots of Kahn buildings enliven and inform the text. Anyone interested in architecture, architectural history, or the history of Detroit will relish this stunning work.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Architecture

224 pages, Hardcover

Published April 16, 2018

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

During his lifetime Albert Kahn was known as the man who built Detroit. After his passing he’s somewhat fallen out of the public eye. His architectural contribution to Detroit is absolutely incredible. Detroit’s downtown wouldn’t be what is it today with Kahn’s work. A poor German-Jewish immigrant, Kahn came to Detroit with his family in 1881. Kahn was a well-documented workaholic but was married to Ernestine Kahn until he died and had six children. Kahn is reported as a loving but largely absent father, always carried away with his work and travels for work. Kahn’s early success can be attributed to the factories his designed for Henry Ford. Kahn was known for his “daylight” buildings which allowed natural light into factories designed with openness yet maximized usage of space. Kahn gained a strong reputation and earned a tremendous amount of money from his work for Ford. Surprisingly Ford was vocally antisemitic yet had a positive, long-standing relationship with Kahn. Kahn went on to design Henry Ford’s son Edsel Ford’s person home (now a museum). Kahn designed the gorgeous Detroit Athletic Building, but at the time the club didn’t permit Jews membership. After the completion of the building Kahn was granted “honorary” membership, which he declined. Kahn designed numerous buildings for the University of Michigan and Kahn was granted an honorary doctorate from the university near the end of his life.

[Bill Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tightly woven narrative spun from potently unpretentious prose, Building The Modern World examines the complex tapestry of Kahn’s work through the quintessentially American story of his life. In a rags-to-riches tale of immigrant success that will keep you turning pages, Michael Hodges shows us how life in turn of the century Detroit shaped Kahn …and how Kahn in turn shaped Detroit and the modern world. In a warmly personal account that brings together the many facets of an extremely complicated, busy, and productive life, Hodges also makes a credible argument that Kahn’s early experiments in industrial design were the first shot in a revolution that would “upend the very nature of the built environment and how it shapes our lives.” This slim, but handsome volume tells the story of Kahn’s industrial designs from Detroit to the Soviet Union--as well as his lesser known residential and civic work that helped shape the Motor City--through both words and pictures. The latter include a wealth of archival images, as well as many contemporary photos that give us a look at Kahn’s Detroit through the author's own eyes.

[Chad Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Albert Kahn doesn’t get nearly the recognition he deserves, and this book makes that clear. He wasn’t designing cathedrals or skyscrapers, instead he was designing the engine rooms of the modern world. From Ford’s Highland Park and River Rouge plants to the massive Willow Run bomber factory, Kahn helped shape the way America built, worked, and even went to war.

What I loved most is how practical and forward-thinking his approach was. He didn’t care about architectural trends; he cared about getting things done efficiently and at scale. And honestly? That mindset changed the game for industrial construction.

It’s wild how influential he was, and yet so underappreciated outside of Detroit or architecture circles. This book finally gives him the credit he’s due.

Highly recommend if you like overlooked history, industrial real estate, or stories about people who quietly built the foundations of modern life.

[David Fulmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful biography of Albert Kahn, an architect who designed buildings all over southeastern Michigan, but particularly in Detroit. It’s superbly illustrated, expertly researched, and a pleasure to read. This book is clearly a passion project for the author and that shows on every page as it is written with great care and tells the story fully of this exceptionally gifted and fascinating designer who made lasting contributions to the built environment with such projects as the Packard Plant, Henry Ford’s Highland Park Plant and Rouge Factory, the General Motors building, and countless others. It you have any interest in architecture or Detroit this is a must-have and must-read book.

[Jeff Bracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise biography of Detroit's most famous architect. The author reviews Kahn's commercial, industrial and residential work, and does an admirable job of placing it in the perspective of the times, the industrialization, the region and architecture itself. The photographs of Kahn's many creations are beautifully done. If you love Ann Arbor, there are wonderful photos of its many Kahn works. The discussion of Kahn's relationship with Henry Ford and Kahn's role in the controversy over Rivera's Detroit Industry mural at the Detroit Institute of Arts. This is certainly a well-researched and worthwhile book.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the few books written for the layperson about a valuable architect in the last century. He built much of Detroit and worked with most car companies, governments and executives in the area. His buildings provided buildings scaled to the human form, in most cases, and incorporating beauty along with sturdy monumentalism. Kahn has always interested me after walking through a few of the Ford family mansions. His architecture makes you comfortable with the past and so many American cultural habits now forgotten or not useful. Kahn practiced architecture when there were few schools for architecture in the U.S. He learned at a firm in Chicago and from there formed his company in Detroit.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. I really did not think I would like this book. But my book club chose it, and I read on. It was very interesting and even had some connections to my family. Albert Kahn was a great man and a great architect. I would now love a road trip to Detroit to see the buildings that have survive, especially the Fisher building. A visit to the DIA to see the Rivera mural is another essential stop.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Loved the history of the architect behind the best buildings in Detroit and at the University of Michigan.

[Railynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and a half stars

[Erin Krajenke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Albert Kahn is very interesting. I liked the colored pictures. However, I think the author assumed we are not reading the entire book and many things are repeated throughout.